fall fashion wish list

Although I'm a little sad to move my summer dresses to the deep dark sides of the closet, I have to admit, I'm kinnnnda getting excited about fall fashion. Quite honestly, fall fashion, sometimes, is the only thing that keeps me from being completely destroyed about the dropping temps. I love digging out my warm coats and scarves and all the winter accessories I'd somehow completely forgotten about. Drinking delicious hot coffees and cocoas while cozying up in chunky knits... my favorite jeans... knee-high boots... layers of tops in jewel-tones ... the list goes on.

This fall my wish list is all about quality leather items in various chocolate shades, the softest knits I can get my hands on and delicate gold jewelry. Luckily, our annual Mall of America trip is right around the corner, so I'm hoping to cross a lot of these off my wish list very soon. :)

• watches (thanks to Casey for opening my eyes to these beauties) And I can't decide! I want both!

• classic riding boots from ALDO (TOP of the list)

• tote (I want the real leather but this Target one is a great inexpensive substitute)

• thigh highs (I want a pair in every color)

• locket

• ring 1 • ring 2

• coffee girl inspiration • fireside inspiration

glittery gold sperries

I first fell for Sperry boat shoes after spending time at a gorgeous marina in Sturgeon Bay the last few summers. Maybe it was all the pristine white boats... the perfect summer sun... the wine at sunset - either way, I have to admit I'm smitten with the entire lifestyle. It's like I've found my vacation-style calling. Here's where my mind wanders:

sperries • collage • boat 1 & 2

pens, pencils & paintbrushes

I usually have 1 to 2 to 20 random art ideas brewin' in my head at all times. It's usually just a matter of finding the time to get into my design/sewing/art/storage room and see if what's in my head can translate on canvas or paper.

I'd had this pen/pencil/paintbrush art idea for close to a year. I've always loved collage work, repetition, and series art ... and I'm so inspired by people who take the most random object and create an amazing piece of art work. So anyways -– We've always had a large amount of almost-dried up pens, paintbrushes that are beyond help and pencils that just don't get used so I thought they'd be the perfect subject matter. This messy, drippy, multi-colored art was really fun to create and I'm loving the results. :)

 

wave collage

Last weekend I got the opportunity to meet up with 13 awesomely talented girls and for 4 days and 3 nights we illustrated, created, quilted, collaged, scraped, designed, photographed and wined & dined. We slept in, caught up on our books & mags, went running (or not ;), and took inCREDible uninterrupted showers. (for Mom's with little ones - this is as good as gold). 

Cherry on top is that you actually get a ton of stuff done during this weekend. I finally wrapped up a project that I've been working on and off for way way too long: filling some blank frames on my wall (See first initial brainstorm here). I ended up going in a different direction (with thanks to my RoXy and Quicksilver catalogs), but it was fun to collage and it's great to finally have a little more color up on the walls. 

pretty faces

Things have been so hectic lately that it felt really therapeutic to sit down with a sketch pad and pencils and draw this week. I thought I'd share a face that I was playing around with. I think it's really interesting to combine different mediums and then also incorporate more technical designs. I love the endless possibilities and can't wait to explore more.

fashion52: photo challenge (5/52)

For as long as I can remember, I've collected, collaged, sketched and listed all my fashion wants and inspirations. I now have numerous binders and sketchbooks filled – creating my own personal fashion library of sorts. When I'm in a fashion rut, I dig them out, flip through and soak up the styles. :)